Rotary swing.



F. SCHWARZ.

ROTARY SWING.

APPLICATION FILED IULYIB. |914. 919,232. Patented May11,1915.

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F. SCHWARZ.

ROTARY SWING.

APPLICATION FILED IIILYIS. I9I4.

1,139,2329 Patented May 11, 1915.

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Iil E III THE MORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, .D. C

FREDERICK SCHWARZ, OF BERNE, INDIANA.

` ROTARY SWING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application led July 13, 1914. Serial No. 850,748.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SCHWARZ, citizen of the United States, residing at Berne, in the county of VAdams and State of Indiana, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Rotary Swings, 4rof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in swings, and as its principal object aims to provide an apparatus of this character consisting essentially in a supporting frame and a body which is rotatably mounted therein and is equipped with a passenger seat and a counterweight.

A further object is to so mount the counterpoise in the body of the swing that the passenger may adjustthe counterpoise longitudinally of the body so lthat the swing may be actuated without the aid of mechanicalk power. A

The above recited and other incidental objects of a similar nature are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly set forth in the claims, which areV appended hereto and form a part of this application.

Vith reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment Vof this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, showing the body of the 'swing in vertical position; Fig.

2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a swing, showing the body thereof at different points in its rotation; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig'. 1.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawby bolts or similar fastening devices 16 and the upper terminals of which are all connected by a single bolt 17 to the member 10. Similar braces, indicated at 18, are connected at their lower terminals by bolts 19 to the terminal of the member 13 and the adjacent terminal of the member 12. These braces are also secured by a single bolt 20 at secured by fastening bolts or similar devicesV through their parallel arm portions and through the members 21 and 22. Passing through the approximate centers of the beams 21 and 22 is an aXle 26, the terminals s i of which are journaled in bifurcations composition. One terminal of the beam 21A extends beyond the adjacent terminal of the member 22 so that a pivoted catch mem` ber 29, which is U-shaped in conformation, may be swung to brace the member 21 for holding the body' of the swing against rotation. A pin, indicated at 30, is employed for limiting the swinging movement of the member'29.

To the transverse brace 25 at one terminal of, the body of the swing I secure a bracket plate 31, in the bearings 32 of which is journaled an aXle 33. On this member 33 is j ournaled a sprocket 34 over which passes a 'chain 35 employed in adjusting the counterpoise of the swing. The counterpoise consists in a number of weights which are preferably in the nature of iron bars, indicated at 36. These bars are approximately fifty-pounds each in weight and are connectedto each other as a unit by means of screwrods 37 and wing nuts 38. It will be obvious thajtarmember 36 may be added or removed tow'adapt the swing for use by a light or heavy( passenger. Y

As stated,`the counterpoise is adapted to be longitudinally adjusted with respect to the body member, and for this purpose, therefore, I provide the supporting and guiding strips 39 which are secured to the inner faces of the beams 21 and 22 in transverse alinement with each other. These members 39 are received within groovesr formed in the terminals of the members 36, and as will be obvious upon reference to Fig. l serve not only to guide the counterpoise in its movement through the body but also serve to support the counterpoise. It is now to be observed that the brace member 24 is arranged a convenient point for limitingr the movement of the counterpoise toward the axle 26.

At that end of the body portion of the swing opposite to the bracket 25, and consequently on the opposite side of the axle 26, is secured the passenger seat 40. This seat 40 includes a back rest 41, the seat portion 42, and a foot rest 43. The seat is properly secured to the body of the swing by a pair of hook members 44, the lower terminals of which are secured to the seat by chains 45, the upper terminals of which are freely mounted on a crank 46. The terminals of this crank 46 are journaled in bearing plates 47 secured to the beams 21 and 22 in transverse alinement to each other. One member 44 ismounted directly on the crank, while the other member 44embraces the hub 48 of one of the members 47 and is held against displacement therefrom by an annular collar or flange, indicated at 49. It will be obvious that since the hooks 44 freely engage the crank 46 and hub 48, the seat 40 will at Vall times depend from the body of the swing.

In order to permit the passenger to adjust the counterpoise at all times during the rotation of the body of the swing, I provide a chain 50 which is passedover sprockets 51 and 52 carried respectively by the crank 46 and the axle 53. The axle 53 is ournaled in the beams 2l and 22, as shownv in Fig. 1 and carries a second sprocket 54. Over this sprocket 54 is passed the chain 35. One terminal of this chain 35 is connectedby an eyelet 56 to the one side of the counterpoise, while the other terminal of the chain is connected by an eyelet 57 to the opposite side of the counterpoise.

It will now be seen upon reference to Fig. 1 that the passenger may, by manipulating the crank 46, readily move the counterpoise longitudinally over the guides 39. In this connection it is to be noted that the rotation of thecrank will cause, through the medium of the chain 50, the rotation of the sprocket 52 and the' consequent rotationY of the.

sprocket 54. The rotation of the sprocket 54, of course, draws in or pays out the chain 35, with the resultant movement of the coun. terpoise toward or away from the axle 26.

In order to permit the passenger to lock the counterpoise in finally adjusted position, aclutch, indicated at 58, is employed. This clutch 58 is in the nature of a sleeve which is slidable on the crank 46 and is held against rotation thereon by a pin 59. If desired, of course, a key may be substituted for the pin. The hub 48 is provided at its inner terminal with teeth adapted to be en gaged with the teeth of the clutch sleeve 58. It will now be seen that the passenger may readilyv lock the ycounterpoise in adjusted position'by sliding the clutch 58 into engagement with the hub 48 so as to prevent further rotation of the crank 46.

The actual construction and arrangement of the several parts 'of the swing being thus disclosed, it now remains to explain briefly the'manner in which the passenger manipulates the counterpoise in effecting the rotation of the swing. Briefly the operation is as follows: Upon assuminga seat the passenger first adjusts the counterpoise 36 so that it will slightly over-balance the body of the swing. During such primary adjustment of the coruiterpoise the body of the swing is held iny position by an assistant. When the assistant releases the body of the swing, it is obvious that the counterpoise being disposed as it is such distance from the body of the swing as to over-balance the weight of the passenger will cause the seat carrying terminals of the beams 21 and 22 t0 swing upwardly.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the counterpoise is allowed to remain in over-balancing position until it reaches the lowest point in its rotation. As the counterpoise passes between the uprights 10 and 11, however, the passenger rotates the cranks 46 in such manner as to draw the counterpoise in toward the axle 2O so that the eiiect of the counterweight will be overcome by the passengers own weight. Of course, when the counterpoise has started to move upwardly, as at the right hand side of Fig. 3, the passenger has started to come down. The momentum which the passengers weight imparts to the swing will be sufficient to 4carry the beams 21 and 22 beyond any dead center which might occur when they are in vertical position. As the passenger passes between the uprights 10 and 11, he again manipulates the crank 46 to move the counterpoise out toward the end of the beams 21 and 22, so that` the maximum effect of the counterpoise may be obtained when the passenger carrying terminal of the swing body is moving upwardly.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the formof this'invention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicientand practical; yet realizing that Athe conditionsconcurrent with the adoption ofthis device will necessarily vary, it is desirable to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention', as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l. A swing of the character described in cluding a supporting frame, a body member mounted for rotation in the frame, a passenger seat supported at one end of the body member, a counterpoise mounted at thev other terminal portion of the body member, and means operable from the passenger seat for adjusting the counterpoise longitudinally with respect to the body member, said means including a crank terminally joui'- naled in the side members of the body member and disposed within reach of the passenger seat, and flexible means operativeljT connecting the crank to the counterpoise.

2. A swing of the character described including a supporting frame, an axle carried thereby, a body member consisting in a frame journaled intermediate its length on the axle and adapted to rotate thereabout, a passenger seat supported at one end of the body member, a crank carried by the body member and disposed withinreach of the passenger seat, a counterpoise mounted at the end of the body member opposite to the passenger seat, a chain secured at its terminals to the counterpoise, longitudinally spaced sprockets carried by the body member, said chain operating over said sprockets, and a chain operatively connecting the crank to one of, said sprockets whereby the counterpoise may be adjusted longitudinally of the frame from the passenger seat.

3. A swing of the character described including a supporting frame, a body member rotatable therein, a passenger seat suspended at one end of the body member, a counterweight mounted at the other end of the body member, longitudinally extending guide members for supporting and guiding the counterweight, a crank journaled in the body member within reach of the passenger seat, and iiexible means operatively connecting the crank to the counterweight whereby the counterweight maybe adjustable longitudinally of the body member from the passenger seat.

4. A swing of the character described including a supporting frame, a body member rotatably mounted therein, a passenger seat suspended at one terminal to the body member, a counterweight mounted for longitudinal movement at the other terminal of the body member, said counterweight including a plurality of bar members and fastening members connecting the bars, and means operable from the passenger seat for ad j usting the counterweight longitudinally of the body member.

5. A swing of the character described including a supporting frame, a body member rotatable therein, a passenger seat suspended at one end of the body member, a

Vcounterweight adjustable longitudinally at the other end of the body member, guide members carried by the body member and serving to support and guide the counterweight, longitudinally spaced sprockets mounted in the body member at one side of the center thereof, a chain engaging the sprockets and terminally connected to the counterweight, a crank journaled in the body member within reach of the passenger seat, and a chain operatively connecting the crank to the first-mentioned chain whereby the counterweight may be adjusted longitudinally within the body member from the passenger seat.

6. A swing of the character described including a supporting frame, a body member rotatable therein, a passenger seat, a counterweight, said counterweight and passenger seat being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the body member, and means operable from the passenger seat for adjusting the counterweight longitudinally with respect to the body member.

7. A swing of the character described including a supporting member, a body member rotatable therein, a passenger seat, a counterweight, said passenger seat and counterweight being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the body member, means operable from the passenger seat for adjusting the counterweight longitudinally with respect to the body member, and means for locking the counterweight in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK SCHWARZ.

Witnesses: JOHN A. BIXLER, i ANDREW GoT'rsoHALx.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner' of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

